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[sub][color=8E939E]✧     Location: Snakeburrow Woods     ✧     Purse: 12 copper     ✧      [@Achronum]  ✧[/color][/sub][/center]
The rest of that evening’s conversation got away from Kyreth, the young Tainted’s mind drifting off with wonderings of his own on the nature of ambient aether. Ermes’ further questions mirrored his own, and myriad more followed behind them, none of which he could ever hope to answer without further instruction. It was strange (and tiring) to think so hard about something so… abstract. Ironically, it felt like a great luxury; with his room and board pretty much sorted for the time being, Kyreth was unaccustomed to the freedom to let his mind wander to things beyond his immediate needs. Maybe that was why fortunate folk like Eila always seemed to dive into study: with nothing else to worry about, they were free to pour all their attention into higher pursuits.

Ironically, it was more a distraction than a help when it came to his candle practice, his focus wavering as his mind was drawn to pry into concepts he barely understood. Of course, since he knew so little on the topic of… well, anything, he only ended up treading the same circles in his head, repeating the same questions and proposed answers over and over again. It was like getting a song stuck in his head, a vague tune and lyrics half-remembered and muffled through the tavern wall; he knew just enough to realize how much he couldn’t remember, and the tune would stay lodged in his ear until he finally learned all the words. 

Sleep didn’t come easily, especially with aether hanging dense in the air, so it was tough luck that just as  Kyreth finally drifted off, something insistent pulled him from his slumber, accompanied by a sudden [i]thud[/i] and-- silence?

Wait, was that right? Kyreth shot up from his spot on the grass, eyes wide in the darkness, straining to hear. Yes… yes, it [i]was[/i] quieter than before. There used to be… music? Yes, Lilann mentioned the music in the forest. It was supposed to be a good thing, he thought. Had he really been so distracted not to notice it before? And more importantly, if it was such a good omen, then why had it stopped…?

Kyreth’s eyes glowed brightly in the darkness, his freckles like a little swarm of fireflies in comparison, both conspicuously visible in the gloom as he looked over toward his companions. Esvelee was awake, too, and looking just as concerned as Kyreth. What was more, a now-familiar buzzing in Kyreth’s fingers heralded a change in the aether. Wait, maybe [i]that[/i] was what woke him? It wasn’t the sound; he was awake already when he heard that. No, it felt like it came from within, like a rising panic in his chest - no, a rise in the aether!

Kyreth’s breath caught in his chest as a voice rang out in the darkness, an invisible traveler bickering loudly as if they were in broad daylight. The contrast put him even more on edge, and he stiffened as a slap sounded through the trees. He barely breathed, not sure what to do next. The voice mentioned a “scheme” - were they thieves? Kyreth didn’t know much about merchants and trade, but he knew enough to know their cargo was valuable. Were they here to rob the caravan? Had they been following them? Or was it bad luck to stumble upon common highwaymen?

[color=8E939E][i]Oh Mistress, you chose a strange vocation for me,[/i][/color] Kyreth thought worriedly, grasping his crescent as the evening’s conversation about everyone’s skills came pointedly to mind. Silently, he looked to Esvelee and held a finger to his lips, motioning for her to be quiet. It seemed the interlopers hadn’t noticed them yet. 

Beyond that, he had absolutely no idea what to do.